LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - Sharon Stone has touched off a minor media scandal by saying in an interview last week at the Cannes Film Festival, that she thinks the recent earthquake in China could be a result of bad "karma" for the country.

In a brief red carpet interview, Stone told the Cable Entertainment News of Hong Kong, "I'm not happy about the way the Chinese are treating the Tibetans because I don't think anyone should be unkind to anyone else. And then this earthquake and all this stuff happened, and then I thought, is that karma? When you're not nice that the bad things happen to you?"

The May 12, 8.0-magnitude earthquake in China's Sichuan Province killed more than 10,000 people, left more than 30,000 missing, and injured nearly 300,000.

In response to Stone's statement, the owner of one of China's largest cinema chains has threatened to boycott the 50 year-old actress' films. Ng See-Yuen, owner of the UME Cineplex chain and the chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers, said it is not the job of actors to allow their personal political beliefs to affect their comments on this recent natural disaster in China, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

CLICK HERE to see a photo gallery of Sharon Stone on the red carpet in Cannes